5 things to know about the iPad

Friday

Jan 29, 2010 at 12:01 AMJan 29, 2010 at 7:12 AM

Q&A about Apple's newest product, the iPad.

What is it?

It’s not quite an iPhone and not quite a MacBook. The iPad is a sleek half-inch in depth and is 9.56 inches high and 7.47 inches wide, roughly about the size of a magazine. The “tablet computer” will have wireless capability and a virtual keyboard. It will be able to handle most of the functions a normal computer can.

What is it competing with?

The general thought is that the iPad’s main competition will be e-book readers - such as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook - and netbooks, which are small, cheap computers that mainly are used for Internet capability. The iPad will come with its own e-book software, iBooks. Some reviewers have said the iPad could do for books, newspapers and magazines what the iPod did for music.

When can I buy an iPad?

The first version of the iPad, which will have Wi-Fi capability, will be released at the end of March. The 3G version will hit the stores at the end of April.

How much is it?

The cheapest version will be $499 (the 16GB Wi-Fi version). The most expensive will be $829 (the 64GB 3G version). There are several options in between these versions.

Where can I get more information?

Apple’s iPad page can be found at www.apple.com/ipad. For reviews and other advice, simply google “iPad.”

GateHouse News Service

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